Authorities are investigating the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight near Aktau, Kazakhstan, that left 42 dead and several survivors. Initial theories suggest a bird strike or technical malfunction, while shocking footage shows the plane spiraling into a fireball upon impact. The investigation is ongoing, with more details expected soon.
BY PC Bureau
The crash of an Azerbaijan Airliner in Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday has left investigators grappling with multiple theories surrounding its cause. From the possibility of a bird strike to a technical malfunction, speculation has run high. The Embraer 190 aircraft, flight number J2-8243, was en route from Baku to Grozny when it was forced to make an emergency landing just 3 kilometers from Aktau. Tragically, 42 people are feared dead, while some passengers were lucky enough to survive.
Update: The number of survivors from the Aktau, Kazakhstan plane crash has risen to 28, per the Health Dept. Press Office. -RT
📹 Video shows people helping injured passengers escape the damaged plane.#Kazakhstan #PlaneCrash #Aktau #Azerbaijian pic.twitter.com/KHSHUWgrd4— Sri Lanka Tweet 🇱🇰 (@SriLankaTweet) December 25, 2024
Kazakh authorities have launched a thorough investigation, with initial reports pointing to a bird strike as a potential factor, which may have led to the aircraft’s loss of control. A report by the Daily Mail even suggested that the bird strike caused a steering failure, which compounded the crisis. However, authorities are not ruling out a possible technical malfunction and are examining all potential causes.
A chilling two-minute video has emerged, capturing the moment the plane crashed and erupted into flames, a fireball lighting up the sky during the Christmas Day landing. The footage shows the aircraft in a steep nosedive before crashing and disintegrating, as survivors scrambled to escape the wreckage. Some videos circulating on social media showed survivors dragging fellow passengers from the plane, while others documented the devastation, with part of the fuselage ripped from the aircraft.
Flight tracking data paints a troubling picture of the final moments of the flight. The aircraft’s altitude fluctuated dramatically, and it appeared to be making erratic maneuvers before it impacted the ground. FlightRadar24 also revealed that the aircraft experienced “strong GPS jamming,” a factor that could have distorted flight data and impeded navigation. Russia has been accused of similar disruptions in the region before.
The plane that crashed was an Embraer ERJ-190, a widely-used jet known for its reliability on short- and medium-haul routes. It is designed to carry between 96 and 114 passengers and has a range of about 4,500 kilometers. The aircraft had taken off early and, during its flight over the Caspian Sea, issued a distress squawk code. As the investigation continues, the pieces of this tragic puzzle will hopefully come together, offering clarity on what led to this devastating accident.
